Matrix for line-casting machines



mg. M, 1925.

H. FREUND ET AL MATRIX FOH' LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1921 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN FREUND, F BROOKLYN, AND CHARLES W. GASKELL, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNORS T0 INTERTYPE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A COR- PORATION on NEW YORK.

MATRIX FOR LINE-CASTING MACHINES.

Application filed February 26, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, HERMAN FREUND, a German citizen, residing in Brooklyn, and CHARLES W. GAsKnLL, a United States citizen, residing in New York city, New York, have jointly invented the following described Improvements in Matrices for Line- Casting Machines.

The invention refers to the index or ref erence characters used on linotype matrices and its object is to improve their legibility. Linotype matrices are the movable 'elements, in linotype, line-casting or like machines, which carry the die-cavlties from which the linotype slug is cast. They are stored in i the magazine of the machine and selectively delivered therefrom.and grouped in line, in an assembling frame, by the operation of the compositors keyboard. In this frame they are justified and then presented to the casting mechanism, after which the are transferred and distributed into their respective channels in the magazine. The rear edge of each matrix carries the diecavity or cavities by which its particular type character is cast in the slug. The reference character is applied to the opposite or front edge of the matrix so that as they are grouped in composition, these characters form a reading line of the composed matter, visible to the operator so that he can verify his work. As heretofore .applied, the reference characters do not make an easily legible reading line and the effort to read them involves a considerable strain on the compositors eyesight. The matrices are commonly chamfered or beveled at the corners of their front vertical edges in order to facilitate their movement by and through the various automatic mechanisms of the machine, and when assembled in composition, the adjacent chamfered corners produce a series of vertical grooves intervening between adjacent reference characters which break up the continuity of the composed line and thus interfere with reading it. The chamfering also reduces the available area of the front edge surface so that the character applied thereto is correspondingly small and smaller thanthe die character on the opposite edge. The reference character is always indented in themetal of thematrix and 'it is common practice to fill it Serial No. 447,917.

with a pigment for the sake of contrast with the surrounding surface, but this is not permanently effective, because the Slll'", rounding surface, usually brass, soon becomes dirty, impairing the contrast, or if frequently cleaned, becomes so shiny as to interfere with legibility by the reflection and glare. It has been proposed to keep the edges of the matrices clean by the use of automatic brushes in the machine, but the effect of these cleansers is not only to remove the dirt but also the pigment from the character. Other proposals have contemplated the coloring of the field for contrast and giving it a surface not' likely to retain dirt but such methods are open to the objection that the colored surface quickly wears oif at the vertical corners of the matrix leaving a shiny brass edge which, in composition, also interrupts the continuity of the reading line and confuses the eye.

It is the object of this invention to improve the display of the reference charactersso that they will always be plainly legible and the least likely to becomeillegible from the incidents of prolonged use and to this end the invention consists inithe employment of one or more of the features hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective of a well-known form of matrix having a chamfered front edge and incorporating all the features of this invention in their preferred form. Fig. 2 is a-composed group of such matrices with spacers; and Fig. 3 a partial cross-section through the matrix and reference character of Fig. 1.

The rear edge of the matrix is formed with one of more of the usual die-cavities 1 by means of which its type character is cast in the linotype slug. The reference character 2 corresponding to such cavity, is

applied to'or formed on the opposite or front edge, in alto relief thereon, so that it projects from the immediately surrounding portion of such surface. "Under the peculiar conditions of use-in line-casting' machines, this relief formation of thereference character results in an efiective con-' "trast with its field or background, because the projecting face of the character is .subject to-more 'or less pol1shing,;from contact with other bodies or with the agencies used for cleaning the matrices, while the surrounding surface being more or less protected by the character, or by other parts is not subject to such polishing and consequently takes on a darker shade. When the matrix is of brass, which is the usual material, the character stands out clearly against such darker background and is very easily read and this condition is one that tends to improve with use rather than otherwise, it being apparent also that if the character should become obscure from dirt or any cause, its legibility can be instantly restored by simply wiping or rubbing it. It is found desirable to treat the surface which forms the field or background so as to enhance the contrast, and this may be done by roughening it or by coloring it a dark color as by the use of an appropriate acid. The latter method can be carried out at minimum cost because the acid can first be applied to the entire background, in-

cluding the character, and the latter can afterwards be brought out and restored to its natural metal color by abrading it and without affecting the field.

A character having these qualities may obviously be located at any point on the front or exposed edge of the matrix as for example between the top and bottom lugs of the ordinary style of matrix as shown in the drawings, and it will be understood that all of the matrices in a font will naturally carry their reference characters in the same relative position so as to produce a straight reading line. The legibility of such a line is further enhanced by separating the immediate field surface 3 from the rest of the edge surface 4 of the matrix, so that such field surfaces, when assembled in composition, will give a panel effect for the reading line as indicated in Figure 2. This is best produced by counter-sinking the field surface or setting it back with reference to the immediately adjacent portions 5 of the front edge 4 and a very slight amount of set back will sufiice for the purpose of vlsually separating the field to give the panel effect, but it is preferred to set the field 3 back far enough so that the said portions 5 will serve in some measure to protect it from wear and thereby eliminate, or at least reduce, its hability to become shiny in use or for its coloring if applied, to become worn off, especially at the corners. In the case of a chamfered matrix as shown in the drawings, the field surface is set back at least to the base of the chamfer 6, which gives the field the full width of the thickness of the matrix, thereby ermitting it to accommodate a larger size 0 reference character than could be applied if located on the edge between the chamfers. When set back to this extent the chamfer grooves do not interrupt the continuity of the reading line and moreover the field surface can be made strictly perpendicular to the Plane of the matrix so that the proximate corners of adjacent matrices fit closely together, in composition and the crevices between them are thus scarcely discernible. The substantially continuous panel effect produced in this way is of great assistance to the eye in reading the composed matrices.

It will be appreciated that the drawings have necessarily exaggerated the features above described and it will be understood that the extent to which the relief character projects from its field surface is not at all material so long as it is made to appear in its bright metal color and the field is prevented from. becoming equally bright by the effect of wear or use, that being the Cl'lillkICtQllStlO quality of this invention. It should be stated that the polishing of the faces of the reference characters does not produce any glare or confusing effect on the eye; on the. contrary, such polishing tends to set the character out brilliantly against the darker or duller background of the field and thereby greatly improves the contrast and legibility. The character may be formed in the matrix. by the use of ordinary intaglio cut, embossing dies which will form the embossed character and the setback field surf-ace in one and the same operation and at no greater cost than the stamping of the matrix with an indented character according to the common practice, but any other method may also be employed. Each matrix may be formed with more than one field surface so as to form more than one reading panel on the composed group, and more than one reference character may be put on a field surface, as may be preferred, these and other modifications all being contemplated as within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. It is desirable that each field surface shall be of the same height as the others with which it is used and that they shall all be of the same general shade and appearance, preferably black, to the end of producing a panel giving the greatest aid to the reading of the composed line.

\Ve claim:

1. A matrix for use in line casting machines having on its front edge a reference character projecting in relief from a surface which is separate from said front edge.

2. A matrix for, use in line casting machines having on its exposed edge a reference character projecting in relief and a field for said character, visually separated from the rest of the edge so as to form, in the zone of said character, a panel for the reading line of a composed group of said matrices.

3. A matrix having a field surface 011 its front edge set back with reference to the immediately adjacent portion of said front edge and a reference character projecting in rellef from said field surface.

4. A matrix having a reference character on its front edge, a field surface therefor set back from the immediately adjacent portion of said edge and an alto relief reference character formed on said field surface, the face of the character being gright metal and the field surface being ull.

5. A matrix for use in line. casting machines having a reference character formed on its front edge so that the face of said character is sub ect to Wear and a protected field surface for saidcharacter offset relatively to the rest of said edge and subject to less or no Wear whereby the character maintains a bright metal'color and the field surface a duller color.

6. A matrix for use in line casting ina-' chines having a reference character formed thereon of bright metal color, and a field or background surface therefor of duller color, said field surface being in the zone of said character and shaped to form a substantially unbroken panel effect for the reading line of a composed group of said matrices.

7. A matrix having a chamfered front edge, a field surface fora reference character on said edge countersunk therein and an alto relief reference character formed on said field surface.

'8. A matrix for use in line casting machines having on its front edge a separate, protected field surface adapted to form a panel for the reading line of a composed group of such matrlces and a reference character embossed on said field surface.

9. A matrix for use in line casting machines having at its front edge a separate, protected and colored field surface and a reference character embossed on said surface and having the natural color of the metal of which the matrix is made.

10. A matrix for use in line casting machines having at its front edge a separate unpolished field surface and a polished reference character projecting therefrom.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification.

HERMAN FREUND. CHARLES N. GASKELL. 

